Melodial Legal Assurance: Fully Licensed Music for Business

Melodial’s music model means no public performance or music licensing fees are needed for your business. Here is the legal reasoning, in plain language.

All music fully owned or directly licensed

Melodial is a music service for businesses where every track is fully owned or directly licensed. There are no covers or third-party songs in the catalogue, only original music created for Melodial. Because Melodial holds the necessary rights, it can grant you permission to play the tracks in public without involving any external licensing body or collecting society.

When you subscribe, you are granted a blanket public performance license to play Melodial’s music within your business premises for the duration of your active subscription. This license covers public performance, background music and in-store ambience.

What this means for your business

If a business uses Melodial exclusively, it does not need a license from your local collecting society. Melodial has effectively taken care of the public performance right by holding the music rights and giving you direct permission to use it. No royalties are owed to your local collecting society when you play Melodial, because the catalogue sits outside their repertoire. Collecting societies themselves acknowledge this model: APRA AMCOS states that you do not have to go through them to legally play music, and PRS for Music notes that music outside its control may simply require a license from the relevant copyright owner, which is exactly what a Melodial subscription is.

The cost of non-compliance

Your local collecting society licenses public performance and pursues unlicensed businesses for back fees and damages under your national copyright law. Inspectors visit in person and document unlicensed playback, and persistent cases end up in court.

Real cases: In the UK, the operator of two London bars turned down a £5,000 settlement over unlicensed background music and ended up owing roughly £60,000 in damages and costs (PPL v Hagan [2016] EWHC 3076 (IPEC)). In France, the Cour de cassation confirmed a retail chain owed nearly €120,000 for playing “royalty-free” music in its stores: equitable remuneration applied regardless of the catalogue the music came from.

This is why businesses either pay their local collecting society fees or use a directly licensed service to stay on the right side of the law.

The three rights you need, all covered

Recording rights, the right to stream a specific sound recording: covered by Melodial. Publishing rights, the right to stream the composition and lyrics: covered by Melodial. Public performance rights, the right to play music in a commercial environment: covered by Melodial.

Compliance, coverage and certification

Every account includes an official Certificate of Compliance you can keep on file as tangible assurance that you comply with music copyright law. One important note: Melodial’s legal benefits apply only while you are playing Melodial’s platform. If you step outside it, for example a personal Spotify playlist or the radio, your business is once again subject to public performance licensing rules and your local collecting society fees for that music.

In summary, Melodial removes the need for public performance fees for your business entirely: no hidden costs, no reporting requirements and no risk of infringement claims, as long as Melodial is your exclusive music source.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melodial’s direct license legally valid?

Yes. Copyright owners can license their works directly. Because Melodial owns or directly controls its whole catalogue and none of it is registered with your local collecting society, Melodial can grant your business permission without any collecting society involvement.

What proof do I get?

A Certificate of Compliance, downloadable from your account, confirming that the music you play is fully licensed for commercial use.

Does this cover other music I play?

No. The license covers Melodial’s catalogue only. Any other commercially released music, from radio to Spotify, still requires a license from your local collecting society.